Taiwan's real estate market has become a buyer's market. Experts recommend making offers based on current market prices, with different strategies for city center and suburban areas.

Taiwan's housing market has shifted to a buyer's market due to the central bank's lending restrictions, the ban on presale contract assignments, and international geopolitical and economic uncertainties. Experts suggest that homebuyers make offers based on real price registration data, referencing the lowest transaction prices in the past year for core areas, and considering the owner's costs in outer areas to negotiate for a sale at break-even or at a loss. The new luxury tax regulation affects homeowners' pricing strategies, providing buyers with room for negotiation. Existing homes have become the market focus due to their advantages in price and location.

Market Shift: From Seller's Market to Buyer-Led

In recent years, Taiwan's real estate market has rapidly heated up due to low interest rates and abundant liquidity. Homebuyers often could only slightly negotiate the price set by the homeowner, sometimes closing the deal by just "knocking off a little." However, according to statistics from "My Home Network" and several real estate platforms, since December 2023, the number of second-hand homes for sale across Taiwan has surged for three consecutive months, exceeding 95,000 units by early 2025, almost matching the supply of new projects. This indicates emerging supply pressure in the market, leading to a shift in buyer mentality.

Chen Jieming, Director of the All-Direction Technology Real Estate Center, pointed out that the current market has clearly shifted to a buyer's market. Homebuyers should no longer base their offers on the homeowner's asking price but should instead use real transaction data as a reference. He emphasized, "If you don't know how to bargain when buying a house now, you're just overpaying."

Bidding Strategy 1: Use the Lowest Transaction Price in the Past Year for Yolk Areas

Yolk areas, due to their excellent location and well-developed amenities, have long had limited room for negotiation. However, with soaring total prices and restricted buying power, especially for large units and studio apartments affected by central bank lending restrictions, buying interest has significantly declined, making them one of the areas with the most room for negotiation.

Chen Jieming suggests that when bidding in yolk areas, homebuyers can refer to the lowest transaction prices in the community or area over the past year as a basis for their offer, aiming for a price below the average transaction price of the past year. He noted, "If you can buy a new house at a pre-sale price or a completed house at a pre-sale price, that's a good deal."

Additionally, real estate expert Chen Yisheng also reminded that if rare products are released, such as apartments near MRT stations or old houses with urban renewal potential, buyers should decisively make an offer at a reasonable price after confirming their payment ability and loan conditions to avoid missing out on good opportunities.

Bidding Strategy 2: Consider Homeowner Costs in Egg White Areas, Aim for Break-Even or Below-Cost Sales

Compared to yolk areas, egg white areas and emerging redevelopment zones have seen astonishing price increases in recent years due to speculative themes and large project volumes, but actual purchasing power may not keep up. As market buying interest cools, pressure on developers and investors increases, offering more room for negotiation.

Chen Jieming pointed out that when bidding in egg white areas, homebuyers should first check the historical transaction records of the property or community on the Ministry of the Interior's actual price registration website to estimate the homeowner's acquisition cost before making an offer. He suggested, "The goal is to acquire at a break-even price, and if you can negotiate a below-cost sale price, even better."

Furthermore, the new luxury tax policy implemented by the Ministry of Finance on February 19, 2025, also affects some homeowners' pricing strategies. According to the new policy, a unit price exceeding NT$1.2 million per ping in Taipei City is subject to taxation. If the homeowner acquired the property before 2012 and has no cost records, they may lower the selling price or adjust parking space prices to avoid increased tax burdens, providing buyers with negotiation space.

Expert Reminder: Avoid Blindly Chasing Prices, Understanding Real Price Data is Key

In the current market environment, experts generally do not recommend that homebuyers blindly chase prices. Chen Jieming emphasized, "The situation has reversed now, and the risk of being stuck with a property has increased. There's no need to consider the homeowner's asking price; instead, you should bargain based on actual market prices, with the basic principle of not setting a new high."

Chen Yisheng proposed a three-step strategy of "choosing location, changing product, and boldly bidding." He suggested that homebuyers should first select their ideal location and product type and enter the market when confidence is low, taking advantage of negotiation space. He also reminded that real estate is different from stocks and is not suitable for short-term trading; the goal should be long-term holding and stable returns.

Second-Hand Homes Become Market Focus, Greater Room for Negotiation

Under the dual pressure of policy and capital, the buying interest in pre-sale and new homes continues to be sluggish, instead driving the contrarian growth of the second-hand home market. According to a report by "My Home Network," the average price per ping of new homes in Taipei City has exceeded NT$1 million, while second-hand homes are about NT$250,000 to NT$300,000 cheaper, with lower overall price thresholds and greater room for negotiation, attracting first-time buyers and the middle class to turn to the second-hand market.

Wang Ruhua, Associate Manager of "My Home Network," pointed out that although second-hand homes may not match new projects in terms of age and facilities, they have more advantages in location, price, and flexibility. Especially old houses in prime locations, due to their potential for urban renewal or reconstruction, can still receive high valuation support from banks, making them an attractive option for buyers.

References

• 現在該買房嗎？專家讚川普「地產大亨心法」很好用
• 現在買房幾折開始談 ? 專家：買方市場改用這招 | 房市話題 | 房市 | 經濟日報
• 台北每坪120萬、新北75萬...課新制豪宅稅？ 專家解析這些手法，避開被課稅
• 新成屋、預售屋買氣冷颼颼 《我家網》中古屋待售暴增近9.5萬戶
• 桃園在地資訊 | 小郭房地網 Foundi.tw | 買賣不動產找小郭 | 買房子 | 賣房子 | 郭慶豐